Abstract

Lychnophora osanyiniana is a new species from “campos rupestres”, a Brazilian savanna ecosystem constantly threatened by agriculture and mining, despite it having a high number of plant species, particularly endemic and microendemic species. The new species was collected from Sítio Serra da Rita, Serra dos Alves, municipality of Itabira, Minas Gerais State, Brazil. The species is recognized by its glomerulate capitulescence with subinvolucral bracts surrounding sessile heads, giving the appearance of a single head. Another distinct character, although it is not exclusive, is an uniseriate pappus, shared by just three species, Lychnophora grisea, L. haplopappa and L. uniflora, of which only L. haplopappa has similar habit, becoming the closest species.